BOULDER — Regis isn’t buying the Boulder curse.
Back at the Coors Events Center for the fourth consecutive season, the Raiders labored Wednesday against Chaparral under the weight of expectations and ghosts of the past.
Junior Diana Rolniak says boo to all that, though.
“I don’t believe in our Boulder curse,” Rolniak said. “I think it all comes down to how we’re playing and how we’re jelling as a team. I think a lot of it comes down to who shows up for the big game. The past couple years we haven’t been able to do it, but I think this year we have a shot at it.”
That shot came after the Raiders slogged through a 49-31 Class 5A state semifinal victory over the Wolverines in a game with long spates of turnovers, missed free throws and poor shooting.
Rolniak scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Kamile Nacickaite scored a game-high 13 points for the Raiders.
Regis (25-2) won its ninth straight to advance to the state final for the second time in the program’s short history. The Raiders were upset in the semifinals last season, lost in the 4A final in 2006 to Mullen and lost in the 2005 semifinals to Sterling.
Awaiting the Raiders is Continental League rival and preseason No. 1 Highlands Ranch (24-3), which pounded the Raiders 74-49 during the regular season.
“They’re a pretty good team and I think we’re a pretty good team,” Regis guard Mariah Williams said of the Falcons.
The Raiders finally clicked in the third quarter, cutting down on turnovers and successfully working the ball inside to Rolniak to open up a 35-16 lead two minutes before the fourth quarter.
But the Wolverines (22-5) rallied through desperate scrappiness and by sending the cold-firing Raiders to the free-throw line. Chaparral seemed unfazed by the choppy tempo and cut the deficit to 40-31 with 5:30 remaining after two free throws by Jazmin Evans.
